Events

Children's writing events by SCBWI

2012-02-01T11:11:00.004+08:00

Calendar of events by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Malaysia for 2012 at Silverfish Books, 28-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru.

The Talks are organised by SCBWI Malaysia with Yusof Gajah Lingard Literary Agency. All meetings are from 2.30-5.30pm unless otherwise stated. Dates, topics and speakers are subject to change and will be updated as soon as we can on our website as well as on our Facebook page. The main speaker will be Linda Tan, president of SCBWI Malaysia but we will update accordingly when there are other speakers. If you have a topic you wish to discuss, please contact lindalingard@gmail.com. Token entry fee of RM10 for tea and handouts.

Jan 2012, Sat 7 -- Getting my book published - Overview of the Publishing Process / The Calistro Prize and Q&A

Jan 2012, Sat 21 -- What do literary agents do and how they can help you / The query letter

Feb 2012, Sat 4 -- Bring your ms for reading at the Silverfish Writers' Forum. Illustrators may bring your portfolio. Free forum.

Feb 2012, Thurs 9 -- 10am-12pm - Learning and developing as a writer/illustrator / SCBWI & The Asian Festival of Children's Content. (The Asian Festival of Children's Content will be held this year on 26 May in Singapore. There will be a special price for SCBWI members. Not yet a member of SCBWI? Become one and enjoy the benefits immediately. We are this meeting to provide you detailed information on how you can benefit from the Asian Festival of Children's Content. Among others, the benefits include:

1. Learn from experts from around the world in the field of children's literature - whether writing or illustrating
2. Promote your work at the festival to publishers and agents
3. Network and get to know industry professionals4. Launch your book at the Festival and introduce your book to attendees from the region and other parts of the world
4. SCBWI Malaysia and the Yusof Gajah LIngard Literary Agency will be pleased to help you promote your works at the Festival.

Speakers from Singapore will also be present at this talk to answer all your queries. Please also take this opportunity to bring along your books or portfolio to show. For those who cannot come on this day, please do not hesitate to contact us by email:malaysia.scbwi@gmail.com

Feb 2012, Sat 18 – How can I protect my Copyright / The Publishing Contract

Mar 2012. There will be no SCBWI meetings in the month of March but writers are welcome to join the Silverfish Writers' Forum. Free.

Apr 2012, Sat 7 -- Literary/Illustration Award sources / Promoting your work

May 2012, Sat 5 -- SCBWI and Yusof Gajah Lingard Children’s Book Week / Group book launch

May 2012, Sat 26 to Tues 29 -- The Asian Festival of Children's Content, Singapore. Don't miss the Early Bird Rates!

June 2012, Sat 2 -- Bring your ms for reading at the Silverfish Writers Forum. Illustrators may bring your portfolio. Free.

June 2012, Sat 23 -- Book categories / Picture book fundamentals for writers and illustrators.

Jul 2012, Sat 7 - Bring your ms for reading at the Silverfish Writers Forum. Illustrators may bring your portfolio. Free

Jul 2012, Sat 21 -- The dollars and sense of publishing / should I self publish and how to go about it.

Aug 2012, Sat 4 -- Bring your ms for reading at the Silverfish Writers Forum. Illustrators may bring your portfolio. Free

Aug 2012, Sat 18 -- Marketing yourself / your book - tools and tips

Sept 2012, Sat 1 -- There will be no SCBWI meeting in Sept but you are encouraged to join the Silverfish Writers' forum. Free.

Oct 2012, Sat 27 -- How do I protect my copyright?

Nov 2012, Sat 24 -- I have written a book – what’s next?

Dec 2012, Sat 1 -- The Publishing Year in review – key developments and how it affects you

Book launch by Voice of the Children

2011-12-01T14:49:00.001+08:00

Voice of the Children (www.voc.org.my) is launching two new books in its series for children. Fin the Brave shows a little fish overcoming the challenges of statelessness, and Who is My Family? The Story of Kailash the Little Zebra is about a zebra refugee who finds a new home. The books are published by Voice of the Children and written and illustrated by local authors and artists. Previous books in the series are Cats in the Rubbish and The Little Dancing Bear. The books and use stories of animal characters to present issues faced by disadvantaged children: child labour, street children, refugee/asylum seekers, statelessness, and poverty. All titles are offered at RM35.00.

Voice of the Children is a non-governmental organisation that advocates on behalf of children in Malaysia. VoC was established in 2008 to fill a gap in existing children’s services, which traditionally have specialized in caring for children by supplying food, shelter, education and other direct services. By focusing instead on legal and policy issues affecting children, VoC occupies a distinct niche in Malaysia. VoC aims to be a resource for both service organizations and the legal community by providing information and advocacy on laws, policies, and treaties that impact children.

Date: Saturday, 10th December 2011
Time: 5.00pm
Place: Silverfish books
Address: 28-1, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +603-228 448 37

Admission free, all welcome.
Seating is limited, so please come early.

MalaysiaKu2011 - Imagining Malaysia

2011-09-06T15:17:00.002+08:00

Malaysia Day event on 16th September 2011 at the Bangkung Row (Jalan Bankung), Bulit Bandaraya, Bangsar from 3-9pm, with 40 “Pasar Malam” like tables selling food,items etc.

Some of the booths (this is an early list, the programme is still being tweaked): Gerai Orang Asli, Silverfish Books, Country Farm Organics, SPCA – dog adoption, Persatuan Warisan Sarawak, Voice of theChildren, Womens Aid Organisation, IDEAS, PUSAKA, Bar Council, Loyar Burok, Sisters in Islam, Nur Salam, Harvest Centre, SeksualityMerdeka, Fiesta Feminista, WWF, Matahari Books, Pusat Kebajikan Good Shepherd, Malaysian Youth Climate Change Network, Transparency International, Andante.

DISCUSSIONS AND TALKS

Dinner Talk -- Organiser: IDEAS -- Time 7PM-10PM -- Place: Cava -- By Invitation Only
Discussion Forum: “Voices of the Moderates” -- Organiser: CPPS --Place: Opus -- Time: 3-6PM -- Open To Public
Dinner Talk: Conversation on culture with Farish Noor and Eddin Khoo -- Organiser: PUSAKA -- Time 7PM-10PM -- Place: Opus -- By Minimum Donation of RM200 per person (inclusive of buffet dinner). Proceeds raised to support PUSAKA’s efforts to preserve Malaysian traditional performances.
Discussion Forum: “In Bed With Malaysia: Exposing the Rakyat's Sexuality” -- Organiser: Seksuality Merdeka -- Time: 3-6PM -- Place: Cava -- Open to Public
Launch of “Found in Malaysia Volume 2” with stories from featured persons -- Discussion forum: “Malaysian Writing in English – The Silverfish Experience” -- Organiser: Zi Publishing/Silverfish -- Time: 3-6PM -- Place Opus Private Room -- Open to Public
Youth discussion forum on “Prejudice and Stereotyping in Malaysia”-- Organiser: Sisters in Islam -- Time: 7-10PM -- Place Opus Private Room -- By Minimum Donation of RM50 per person (inclusive of buffet dinner). Proceeds raised to support Sisters in Islam.
Debate on Environment vs Development -- Organiser: Malaysian Youth Climate Change Justice Network -- Time: 3-6PM -- Place: Leonardo’s Dining Room -- Open to Public
Talk on: Constructed Landscapes by Anurendra Jegadeva & Yee I-Lann -- Presented by the Malaysian Art Book for Children -- Time: 3-6PM -- Place: Leonardo’s Wine Loft -- Open to Public
Undi Malaysia Project -- Organiser: Pusat Rakyat -- Time: 7-12PM -- Place: Leonardo’s Dining Room and Wine Loft -- By Minimum Donation of RM150 per person (inclusive of buffet dinner). Proceeds raised to support Undi Malaysia Project.

STREET FESTIVAL - PERFORMANCES (Venue: stage, 5.00pm onwards, Open to Public)

Singers Amirah Ali, Azmyl Yunor with special appearance by the Effing Show
6to8 Accapella Group
Nose flute performance by Raman Bah Tuin
My Constition Skit
Acrobatic Lion Dance
Traditional Sabahan Dance, Traditional Sarawakian Dance, Sape Performance
Traditional Dikir Barat performance in the style of Main Tewas with 2 groups of up to 75-100 performers from Kelantan with legendary Daud Bukit Abal
Candle Lighting Ceremony and Negaraku
Jom Joget with The Rozells with PRamlee, Jimmy Boyle, etc tunes.

BANGKUNG STREET BAZAAR (Curated by Bijou Bazaar, Bangkung Street, 3-9pm, Open to public. Jom Makan.) -- Featuring over 50 stalls selling various food, clothing, items, face painting, etc. Fun, food and more for the whole family.

PARTICIPATING NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION EVENT PARTNERS (Participating NGOs will be setting up stalls aimed at educating the public on their various causes, Bangkung Street, 3-9pm, Open to public)

Arts, culture, books: Persatuan Warisan Sarawak KL, Gerai Orang Asli, Pusaka, Silverfish Books, Matahari Books, Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators
Social Issues: Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), Womens’ Aid Organisation (WAO), Voice of the Children, My Constitution/Bar Council, Undi Malaysia – Pusat Rakyat, Sisters in Islam, Childline, Seksualiti Merdeka, Fiesta Feminista, Transparency International Malaysia
Community: We R Malaysia, Yayasan Chow Kit, Harvest Centre, Pusat Kebajikan Good Shepherd
Environment, animals: Malaysian Youth Climate Justice Network, Malaysian Nature Society, WWF -Malaysia, SPCA

Book Launch -- The Female Cell

2011-05-02T10:35:00.003+08:00

Book launch of The Female Cell by Rumaizah Abu Bakar on Saturday, 21 May at 5.30 pm

Venue: Silverfish Books
Address: 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru
59100 Malaysia
Tel: +603-228 448 37

20 stories (all previously unpublished) by Rumaizah Abu Bakar in her first book that display an acute sense of observation, with humour and irony but without prejudice or pandering, in minimalist sketches with an uncanny knack for suggesting danger in even the most mundane. If you have read her initial works in the News From Home anthology, see how she has matured.

Rumaizah's stories are unpretentious and delightful. These short vignettes of human emotions and interactions are perfect for that rainy afternoon, accompanied by tea and biscuits. These stories have light in them.
-- Dina Zaman, author of I am Muslim --

Whether she is describing the kaleidoscopic panorama of Kuala Lumpur, or the prickly solitude of a traveller in Turkey, Rumaizah demonstrates a generous capacity for observation. A quietly assured debut collection.
-- Alfian Sa'at, writer, poet and playwright --

Admission free

Children's Book Week

2011-04-30T11:45:00.003+08:00

Events: Childrens' Picture Book Week

From 2-7 May, Silverfish Books will be hosting a Picture Book Week with special promotions of selected picture books published in Malaysia. A total of 20 titles will be displayed. Written and/or illustrated by Malaysians, these books bring to us stories that are uniquely our own including stories from East Malaysia.

Venue : Silverfish Books
58-1, Jalan Telawi,
Bangsar Baru,
59100 Kuala Lumpur

This Picture Book Week is aimed not only at highlighting local writers and illustrators but also to show the important role that picture books play. Picture books can be introduced to children who have not learned to read and are effective for inculcating love of reading among young children. Picture books can be read aloud or silently and are enjoyed by both children and adults. The illustrations and text add to the total reading experience and enjoyment of picture books. They can be concept books, board books, pop-up books or wordless books.

Participants
1. Yusof Gajah
Malaysian artist Yusof Gajah with his iconic elephant images is also an award-winning children’s book illustrator.
2. Datin Rossiti Aishah Rashidi
Author of ‘Manja the Orangutan’, Datin Rossiti is an advocate for a green lifestyle and being guardians of our environment.
3. Emila Yusof
Blogger and up-and-coming illustrator, Emila Yusof has translated her love of gardening and plants into a beautiful picture book and a set of flashcards.
4. Mie Mambo [aka Nur Azmi]
Graphic novelist and musician, Mie Mambo is presenting ‘Tapir’ who leaves the rainforest for the bright lights of KL.
5. Voice of the Children
VOC is an NGO whose mission is to advocate for and promote law and policy reform to protect the rights of the child. They have published two picture books with a message on street kids and child labour.
6. OneRedFlower Press
OneRedFlower Press publishes picture books that promote multiculturalism and encourage children to appreciate multiple cultures.
7. Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Malaysia (SCBWI)
The Society aims to provide support and training for Malaysian writers and illustrators and will be presenting their coming programmes.

Saturday, 7 May 2010, 5.00 at the close of the week-long promotion.
1. Reading of a book by Yusuf Gajah by popular TV host Sarimah Ibrahim
2. Free art and creativity workshop for children with Yusof Gajah. (Requires registration. Please call Phek Chin of Silverfish Books Tel: 228 448 37
3. Datin Rossiti Aishah Rashidi will preview her new picture book.
4. Voice of Children -- preview of their new picture book on refugee children.
5. Presentation by One Red Flower

Admission free.

Fynn Jamal at Silverfish

2010-11-02T15:12:00.002+08:00

Silverfish Books and Sang Freud Press presents Fynn Jamal at Silverfish Books, 58-1, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur (Tel: 228 448 37) at 5.00pm on Saturday, 13th of November, 2010

Fynn Jamal is an English lecturer in Lim KokWing University of Creative Technology Cyberjaya. Although she holds a Bachelor Degree in Human Sciences majoring in English Language and Literature, she prefers to write and perform in Malay. She is active in the local indie art scene and has been for more than 4 years. Her work is distinct thanks to her linguistic studies. Her skill at impromptu poetry is looked forward to by her followers, as is her bold and nonchalant persona on stage. She is an expressionist.

Fynn Jamal is a story teller --but she never names any characters in her writings, she writes on behalf of everyman, and she believes that anonymity is significant as it makes her audiences relate her stories better. She refuses pompous and bombastic vocabulary. She loves simple, yet abstract, pieces.

Silverfish Pulp

2010-08-16T18:23:00.002+08:00

Book launch of 21 Immortals by Rozlan Mohd Noor on Saturday, the 25th of September 2010 at 5.30pm at Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, (map) Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Tel: 228 448 37. Admission is free.

Pulp fiction has been defined as 'Novels written for mass consumption, often emphasizing exciting and titillating plots'. Exciting, it most certainly is; tittilating, you decide. 21 Immortals: Inspector Mislan and the Yee Sang Murders is an explosive debut from the quietly talented Rozlan Mohd Noor, an ex-police officer, which explains why he knows so much about police work and inside stories. This is a true Malaysian high-tech crime thriller with good cops, bad cops (and badder cops) and triad members, with insights into the workings of the local CSI, and forays into the world of hackers and their viruses, sleeper programs, trojans, ulat, spybots, hound dogs and their link to crime, including murder

Rozlan Mohd Noor was an officer with the Royal Malaysian Police for 11 years before opting for a carrer in human resource management at several major corporations and multinationals and, eventually, opening his own HR and security consultancy. Even after leaving the force, the evolution of crime fighting techniques and the introduction of technology continues to fascinate him. He wrote crime stories to entertain his friends. Later, encouraged by them, he started working on novels.

Parables, Prophets and Pillocks

2010-08-16T18:22:00.004+08:00

Corrigendum: This event will be the Malaysian launch of Cecil Rajendra's latest book Parables, Prophets and Pillocks (which has already been launched in the UK). This is not to be confused with the readings (of his older works) by him on the 16th of September at Leonardo's Wine Loft in celebration of Malaysia Day 2010.

Reading by Cecil Rajendra on Saturday, the 18th of September at 6.00pm at Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, (map) Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Tel: 228 448 37, in commemoration of Malaysia Day, the first time it is being celebrated with a holiday since Malaysia was declared in 1963. (Crazy but true.) Admission is free, but do come early if you have any idea how a Cecil Rajendra event attracts people (including some you might not recognise).

Parables, Prophets and Pillocks is Cecil Rajendra's 20th collection of poetry and marks over 40 years of creative writing. His first collection, Embryo, was published in London in 1965 while he was still a student reading law at Lincoln's Inn. His poems have been published in over 50 countries and have been translated into many languages including German, French, Japanese, Malay, Tamil, Tagalog and Swahili.

On his return from London, Rajendra initiated Malaysia's first rural legal aid centre in a remote village offering pro-bono legal advice and assistance to farmers, fishermen and factory workers. In 2005, Cecil Rajendra became the first receipient of the Malaysian Humanitarian Award.

Malay movies

2010-08-02T16:16:00.000+08:00

120 Malay Movies (HB) by Amir Muhammad (Matahari Books -- 2010) RM60.00

Book talk with video by Amir Muhammad at Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 21st August 2010 at 5.00 pm. (Amir says the first edition won't go to the chain bookshops! Yay.) The event will finish before buka puasa. (Admission is free.)

120 MALAY MOVIES is a romp through the films that were made in Singapore and then in Kuala Lumpur from 1948 to 1972. (120 represents about a third of all Malay-language films during that period, and this book features most of the famous titles as well as some overlooked gems.) Malaysian writer and filmmaker Amir Muhammad watched them in chronological order and responds to the stories in his own contemporary context. How was the world depicted in those films different from the one we live in today? This book is a serio-comic interrogation into how the iconic fantasies of the past might have unexpected reverberations in the present. This hardcover book also contains hundreds of photographs, and the first edition is not sold in the chain bookshops. View three sample chapters here!

Readings with Rock n roll

2010-06-30T17:57:00.001+08:00

Sang Freud Press and Silverfishbooks present Akustika 1 by Mohd Jayzuan, the author of 28 Hari: Jurnal Rock n' Roll. This first, in a series of readings with music, will be held at 4.00pm on the 24th of July, 2010 at Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur and will include:

Theatre activist: Fazleena Hishammudin dan Fared Ayam
Musicians: Beeha dan Keladak
Author: Mohd Jayzuan dan kawan-kawan dari kolektif Jargon.
Film maker: Razaisyam Rashid

Sang Freud Press dan Silverfishbooks mempersembahkan Siri Baca Akustika 1 - 28 Hari: Jurnal Rock n' Roll. Sempena penerbitan buku Mohd Jayzuan, kami akan mengadakan Siri Baca Akustika, yang merupakan sesi baca-bersembah-bermuzik akustik. Siri bacaan untuk kali ini akan diadakan di Silverfishbooks dan menampilkan:

Aktivis teater: Fazleena Hishammudin dan Fared Ayam
Pemuzik: Beeha dan Keladak
Penulis: Mohd Jayzuan dan kawan-kawan dari kolektif Jargon.
Pembikin Filem: Razaisyam Rashid

Book Launch at KLAB

2010-06-02T13:46:00.003+08:00

Without Anchovies, a collection of previously unpublished short stories by Chua Kok Yee will be launched at the KLAB at the (Central Market) Annexe on Saturday, 12th of June 2010 at 1.00pm

An excerpt
“ ... In my thirty years of teaching, I have seen many of my former students grow up and take on unexpected roles in life; star athletes have ended up working as illegal car jockeys, mediocre students have become millionaires, and perfectly decent boys are now politicians.”

as said by Cikgu Preetam in Perfect Prefect

Heart-rending, hilarious, irreverant, fantastiscal, macabre and one hundred per cent Malaysian, all at the same time, these twenty-two stories by Chua Kok Yee explore what it is like to live in this bizarre country. And the message is all about hope. These are stories of Malaysians, by a Malaysian, for Malaysians. No apologies asked for, or given.

Chua Kok Yee is an old-fashioned yarn-spinner with a thoroughly modern sensibility, and many of the tales in Without Anchovies would make great short films.

Amir Muhammad
Writer and independent filmmaker

Shirley Geok-lin Lim Creative Writing Workshop

2010-05-06T12:10:00.001+08:00

On Beginnings and Endings. One day workshop on Sat July 17th from 10.30 am to 4.30pm at Silverfish Books, 58-1, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Braru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 603 228 448 37. Email: info@silverfishbooks.com. Website: http://www.silverfishbooks.com

A two-part workshop that covers generating ideas, drafts, and short forms before turning to ways to develop, structure, and revise a competed short story or one-act play. The morning workshop will focus on producing "short shorts"--first drafts of selected poetic forms and flash fiction to be shared, reviewed, and revised. The afternoon workshop will examine models of longer forms--one-act plays and short stories--and focus on writing exercises that encourage practice and experimentation with structures of narrative development. Participants will be invited to submit selections of their previously written poems, stories, and one-act plays to include interactive revising and rewriting work.

Cost for one the day workshop is MYR200.00 per person. This workshop will be limited to 20 participants, and registration will be strictly on first-come-first-served basis. Shirley Lim is a very good teacher and her workshops are enormously popular. Please register (with full payment) early to avoid disappointment. (Many were, the last time she ran a workshop here.)

Pre-activity for workshop

As a pre-activity for the workshop, participants may send a copy of their work -- limited to ONE piece only of no more than 5-6 pages in length -- for Prof. Shirley Lim's assessment on the 'polish'/structure part, BEFORE Monday, 12th July 2010'. She will deliver her comments at the workshop. An email link will be provided to all registered participants to send the attachment.

Book talk by Tunku Halim

2010-04-05T13:04:00.000+08:00

There will be a book talk by Tunku Halim on the writing and researching of his latest book, History of Malaysia, on Saturday, 29th of May, 2010 at Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur at 5.30pm. Tel: 228 448 37 Email: info@silverfishbooks.com

Tunku Halim has written numerous collections of short stories, two novels, a biography and is the author of the very popular A Children's History of Malaysia. His latest effort is the History of Malaysia: a Children's Encyclopedia, a handsome hardbound volume that will educate not just children. Most of the buyers so far have been adults -- many are expatriates who want to educate themselves a little more about the country they currently live in. Books on Malaysian history have become quite embarassingly scarce in the country and this is a welcome addition, not the least for its willingness to take some sacred cows by the horn.

Tunku Halim went to school at St John's in Kuala Lumpur before attending Cheltenham College, Sussex University and The City University in England. He has a Masters Degree with Distinction and is a Barrister of the Inner Temple. He has been admitted as a solicitor in Malaysia and in New South Wales.

2010-03-17T14:44:00.001+08:00

Strategic Information and Research Development Centre (SIRD) cordially invites you to the launch of the book No Cowardly Past in Petaling Jaya. On our distinguished panel of speakers are well-known personalities, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Jomo K.S. and Dominic Puthucheary.

No Cowardly Past: James Puthucheary - Writings, Poems, Commentaries (Second Edition). Edited by Jomo K.S. and Dominic Puthucheary

Informed by a profound understanding of history and convinced by the need to construct a sustainable future for his country, Puthucheary spent a lifetime engaged with the most pressing problems of the day. The new edition of No Cowardly Past brings together some of his most important essays on political economy, the struggle for a progressive politics and the character of university education, as well as his lyrical and pungent poetry.

'Time past and time future are both contained in time present', wrote James Puthucheary in an honest and provocative letter from prison more than y years ago. Informed by a profound understanding of history and convinced by the need to construct a sustainable future for his country, Puthucheary spent a lifetime engaged with the most pressing problems of the day. e new edition of No Cowardly Past brings together some of his most important essays on political economy, the struggle for a progressive politics and the character of university education, as well as his lyrical and pungent poetry. The essays are written in a forthright style that makes his work so accessible and with an unusual candour about the di culties of transforming a rapidly changing society. Together with half a dozen commentaries that throw light on his personal life, political career, intellectual impact and literary output, No Cowardly Past o ers the most comprehensive introduction to one of Malaysia’s greatest public intellectuals.

Date: Monday, 22 March 2010
Time: 8.00pm -- 10.00pm
Venue: Auditorium, MBPJ Civic Centre, Jalan Yong Shook Lin, Petaling Jaya

Programme:
Welcome by Ismail Gareth Richards
Speakers
Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah - The Malaysia We Want
Jomo K.S. - Half a century later: The relevance of the Merdeka generation for us today
Dominic Puthucheary

Discussion
Official Book Launch and Presentation
Light refreshments will be served
Book sale and signing

Beyond the postcolonial

2010-01-05T11:11:00.000+08:00

Talk by Dr Emma Dawson

The changing face of global Anglophone writing

From Nigeria to Kenya to India to Malaysia, Anglophone writing is changing. This talk will look at the thesis of being 'beyond the postcolonial' and the changing face of Anglophone writing. Please come along for interesting debate on this topic on Tuesday, 26th Jan 2010, 8.05 pm (after dinner, over coffee) at Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. The discussion will be led by Dr. Emma Dawson (Keele University, UK)

Bio
Dr Emma Dawson, works at the intersection of postcolonial writing, pedagogy and the emergent field of World Englishes literature. Her recent study addressed the teaching of World Englishes literature in schools in England. As an editor for CCC Press (UK) she is managing a project which is set to publish 8 anthologies of new writing in English from around the world. Cameroon and Nigeria (Nov 2009, Jan 2010) are out, Uganda and Kenya will follow. Malaysia, Singapore, India and a Caribbean nation will be published in 2010/2011.

Call for Submissions (from Malaysian writers):

CCC Press is showcasing new writing in English from around the world in their new series of country anthologies. Anthologies of short stories from Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda are already underway. 'The Spirit Machine' and Other New Short Stories From Cameroon' was published in July 2009 and the Nigerian anthology is due to be published by the end of 2009. The anthologies focus on the production of new writing in English which is newly sourced, edited and presented with a critical introduction. This is a call for the projected collection from Malaysia.

Submission Guidelines For Short Stories
- Word count: 3000 - 8000 words
- There is no theme, only 'Malaysia'.
- This is adult fiction (in the sense that it is not 'children's fiction').
- The work must be written in English (i.e. not translated from another language) and must be written by a resident of Malaysia (this is not a collection of diaspora writing).
- The story must be 'new' in the sense that it is 'unpublished in book form' - this makes life much easier in terms of 'rights'. (We can accept submissions which have been previously published in magazines if necessary.)
- Please send submissions by email to worldlits@googlemail.com, attached as a Microsoft Word document (saved as a 1997-2003 version please) and formatted as follows

- Name of author (Times New Roman, 12pt, bold, left justified).
- Contact address, telephone number and email (Times New Roman, 12pt, bold, left justified).
- Title of short story (Times New Roman, 14pt, bold, centered, underlined).
- Body text (Times New Roman, 12pt, justified, 1.5 line spacing, black).
- Page numbers and name of author on every page please.
- Word count at the end of the story (Bold, left justified)

- Maximum of two entries per person please.
- Please submit by January 31st 2010 (The closing date has been extended to 28 February 2010)

Dr Emma Dawson
Series Editor
World Englishes Literature
CCC Press
www.cccpress.co.uk
email: worldlits@googlemail.com

Book Event: Planter Upriver by Mahbob Abdullah

2009-11-30T14:54:00.000+08:00

A book event: Planter Upriver by Mahbob Abdullah at 5.00pm on Saturday, 19th of December, 2009 at Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 228 448 37 Email: info@silverfishbooks.com. Admission: Free

Mahbob Abdullah will talk about his life as a planter and about what he went through writing his books.

About the author:

Mahbob Abdullah chose planting as a career in the early 1960s when most plantations were growing rubber, and later joined the oil palm estates, mainly with Unilever Plantations. He later joined Sime Darby in the refinery business producing edible oils in Johore, Singapore, Thailand and Egypt. On his retirement he became a consultant on plantation and refinery management.

About the book:

Planter Upriver has sixty short stories set in Perak, Johor and Sabah in Malaysia, as well as Solomon Islands, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo).

The stories span the early 1960s to mid-1980s when the writer was working mainly in Unilever plantations, which had rubber, oil palm and cocoa and coconut, and also ran cattle in islands in the South Pacific.

There were colourful characters even in the most remote places. The writer has also seen the lighter side of their work as shown in some of these stories.

Planter Upriver follows the writer's first book Planter's Tales.

Book Launch: qur'an and cricket

2009-10-15T16:39:00.000+08:00

Launch of qur'an and cricket: Travels through the madrasahs of Asia and other stories the latest book by Farish A Noor, Malaysia's leading public intellectual, at 7.00pm on Friday, 6th November, 2009 at Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 448 449 37 Email: info@silverfishbooks.com. Admission: Free

Here is an excerpt from the book:

However, in the course of the same research I have also visited some rather dodgy institutions that can hardly be called madrasahs. Once in Pakistan I had to interview some students while in the corner of the room played a videotape of the gruesome murder and decapitation of the American journalist Daniel Pearl. The boys I was speaking to were between seven to ten years of age, and were smiling and laughing -- while others lay asleep. I tried to look away as long as I could, resisting the urge to puke.

Santri: Another Look at the Pesantren al-Mukmin of Abu Bakar Ba’ashir

Farish A Noor, academic, activist, traveller extraordinaire, visits, lives and interviews students (and others) in 'jihad factory' madrasahs (Islamic seminaries) from Patani to Pakistan and from Kashmir to Cairo, and comes away dazed and confused. In attempting to make sense of it all, he ends up confronting his own demons and nightmares.

This is a book that only Farish A Noor will attempt and can write. He visits locations we would like to avoid even in our worst nightmares. Although he writes with his sense of humour firmly in place throughout, that does not obscure the seriousness of the subject. Is the world ready for some truth?

Also launched on that day will be set of six postcards with photographs and drawings by Farish A Noor. You may view them here: http://www.silverfishbooks.com/slideshow/farishpostcards/farishpostcards.html

Note: Photo caption: The author on his last day of fieldwork, Central Java, May 2008

Mexican writer at Silverfish in October

2009-09-16T15:00:00.000+08:00

NEW MEXICAN NARRATIVES. A TALE WITHOUT END...

A dialogue with Pedro Angel PALOU at Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur on October 14, 2009 at 18.00 hours. Admission is free.

Since its origins in the sixteenth century, Mexican literature has been a significant component of Western literature. All along the Colonial period, Mexican writers were a key element in the development of Spanish imagination and creatitivity. After Independence two hundred years ago, they struggled to creatively contribute in building up a national identity within the Modern world. The Revolution of 1910 strengthened this commitment and generated a vital nationalistic literature.

Today Mexican writers consider themselves universal novelists, deeply involved in the crisis of globalization. The fact that Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world and a neighbor and major partner of the United States reflects itself in a vibrant and highly competitive literary environment.

New topics to attract Latin American readers, strategies to penetrate global markets, the complex interrelation with massmedia and Internet are among the issues and challenges faced by contemporary Mexican novelists.

Pedro Angel PALOU (Puebla, Mexico 1966) is a reknown novelist and thinker, author of 33 books. As a leading Mexican intellectual, he has been Minister of Culture at his home state of Puebla and President of a prestigious private university, The University of the Americas, as well as recipient of several national and international awards.

PALOU is an anchorman for Mexico's public television (Channel 22) and for the American broadcaster History Channel. He also enjoys a reputation as a futbol referee and a sophisticated chef. His visit to Malaysia is sponsored by the 2009 International Cooperation Program of Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Silverfish 10th Anniversary party

2009-06-01T16:00:00.000+08:00

Yes, it has been ten years already since Silverfish Books first opened in Desa Seri Hartamas. We made a lot of friends, offended some, published over 30 books, organised two International Literary Festivals and many readings and book launches, had a few battles, won some, lost some, still fighting others, and we hope we made a small dent in the Malaysian literary world. So we are organising our tenth birthday party on Saturday 27th June 2009.

Farish Noor, Dina Zaman, Rumaizah Abu Bakar, Shih-Li Kow, Chua Kok Yee, Robert Raymer, Salleh ben Joned, are Silverfish authors who have confirmed will be there. Huzir Sulaiman, Antares and Ganese Jaganathan are definite maybes. A surprise for the evening will be Addeline Lee, who at 18 is the youngest Silverfish author to date. He book Lethal Lesson and other stories will be released on the day.

Tash Aw reading at Silverfish Books

2009-05-16T11:13:00.000+08:00

Tash Aw, who will be in Kuala Lumpur in the first week of next month to launch his new book, Map of the Invisible World, in Malaysia is scheduled for a reading at Silverfish Books on Sunday, 7th of June 2009 from 11.30am to 1.00pm. This event is a result of a request from Tash Aw who has specifically asked to read at Silverfish Books because he likes the type of people who come here, particularly those who will read his book and ask intelligent questions about it, not just about how much money he makes. So, do try and read his book book before you come so as not to let the side down. BTW both the hardback (RM85.00) and paperback (RM64.90) editions are now available in major bookstores.

I have, so far, only read three chapters, but I am already impressed by his steady, confident, no-drama style of prose. He's getting more and more like Ishiguro. I will ask him about it after his reading, during discussion period.

Readings from Echoes of Silence

2009-04-16T14:34:00.000+08:00

In a session called Anatomizing the colonised mind: reading and discussion of Echoes of Silence, the author, Chuah Guat Eng, will read from her novel on Saturday, 23 May at Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur (Tel: 228 448 37) at 5.00pm.

Echoes of Silence is the first full-length novel in English by a Malaysian woman. Critically acclaimed when it first appeared in 1994, it has been enjoyed by general readers, and studied by students and scholars of postcolonial literature in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.

Echoes is a multi-faceted novel, which can be enjoyed at several levels. Although it is written in the first person, the novel is not autobiographical. And although there is a murder and murder investigation, it is not simply a detective thriller. For the reading Chuah will focus on excerpts illustrating the novel's exploration of the colonised mind. "In March 1970, as a direct result of the May 1969 racial riots, I left Malaysia." -- So begins the story of Lim Ai Lian, a Chinese Malaysian.

Besides Echoes of Silence, Chuah's other published literary works are Tales from the Baram River (2001), a collection of Sarawak folktales retold for children, and The Old House and Other Stories (2008), a collection of short stories written and published in various publications and anthologies between 1992 and 2002. She works part-time as a corporate communications consultant and occasionally runs lecture courses at universities.

Admission is free but seats will be on first-come-first-served basis.

Reading by writers of Sang Freud Press and Sindiket Soljah

2009-03-16T15:23:00.000+08:00

Silverfishbooks, Sang Freud Press dan Sindiket Soljah dengan berbesar hati, menjemput pencinta-pencinta cerita pop untuk bersama memeriahkan sidang pembacaan naskhah DUA LAUK dan PEREMPUAN SIMPANAN.

Dua Lauk merupakan hasil kolaborasi dua orang perempuan yang dibesarkan oleh serigala di bawah jambatan Kuala Lumpur sementara Perempuan Simpanan adalah koleksi fiksi sejumlah perempuan-perempuan berpaksikan komunisme (dalam erti kata yang paling tulen).

Antara yang akan mempersembahkan karya mereka:

D'ianadi
Wani Ardy
Taf 'Tifani' Teh
Ila Syazwani
Dila Raden
Wahida Rahim
Alina Abdullah

Book launch -- Ripples and other stories

2009-01-15T14:42:00.000+08:00

Book Launch, readings and discussions of Ripples by Shih-Li Kow on Saturday, 21st February 2009 at 5.30 pm at Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-228 448 37, email: ikanperak@gmail.com

Shih-Li Kow simply keeps on getting better and better. In her first full book of short stories (which, incidentally has been nominated for the Commonwealth Writer's Prize in the First Book category), Shih-Li's delicate touch and turn of phrase continues. She says she loves writing and obviously means it. She will not let any excuse get in the way of her passion. She holds a full time job working six days a week, and is a loving single mother with a ten-year-old.

"... If you were getting tired of fiction, this is the place to have your faith renewed in the beauty and the terror of the imaginary "-- Amir Muhammad (The Malay Mail)

March 8 -- a reading by Kee Thuan Chye and friends -- an update

2008-11-15T14:15:00.001+08:00

Kee Thuan Chye, Azmi Sharom, Helen Ang, Animah Kosai and Chacko Vadaketh will be at Silverfish Books on Saturday, 22th November 2008 at 5.30 pm to read excerpts from and talk about their book March 8: The Day Malaysia Woke.

The blurb for the book says: The day of the underdogs, the real Merdeka, a political tsunami, the perfect storm -- by any name, March 8, 2008, will go down in history as a turning point in Malaysian politics.

With their votes, Malaysians dealt a blow to the Barisan Nasional government that had held almost absolute power for 50 years. Denying it the all-important two-thirds majority in Parliament and the control of five states has certainly made the political scenario more vibrant.

Although surprised that there was such power in the vote they cast, Malaysians woke up to the true meaning and practice of democracy. They now face the present reasonably free from fear, free from the spectre of May 13.

This book is about that historic day and the change that came with it -- an expression of hope for a brighter future, with many Malaysian voices speaking their thoughts frankly. There are also eyewitness accounts, interviews with key people, and articles never published before, written by fledgling and established writer.

Admission is free. Everyone is welcome. There is no need to call to make reservations.

March 8: a reading

2008-10-31T13:25:00.000+08:00

Kee Thuan Chye and his friends will be at Silverfish Books on Saturday, 22th November 2008 at 5.30 pm to read excerpts from and talk about their book March 8: The Day Malaysia Woke. (More information on the others readers will be posted as soon as it is available.)

The blurb for the book says: The day of the underdogs, the real Merdeka, a political tsunami, the perfect storm -- by any name, March 8, 2008, will go down in history as a turning point in Malaysian politics.

With their votes, Malaysians dealt a blow to the Barisan Nasional government that had held almost absolute power for 50 years. Denying it the all-important two-thirds majority in Parliament and the control of five states has certainly made the political scenario more vibrant.

Although surprised that there was such power in the vote they cast, Malaysians woke up to the true meaning and practice of democracy. They now face the present reasonably free from fear, free from the spectre of May 13.

This book is about that historic day and the change that came with it -- an expression of hope for a brighter future, with many Malaysian voices speaking their thoughts frankly. There are also eyewitness accounts, interviews with key people, and articles never published before, written by fledgling and established writers.

Book Launch: Tales from the Court

2008-08-15T15:39:00.000+08:00

The launch of Matthew Thomas' Tales from the Court and other stories will be held at Silverfish Books on Saturday, 6^thSeptember 2008 at 5.00 pm. Attending the function and launching the book (all the way from France) will be his very good friend Mohamed M Keshavjee who also wrote the afterword in the book.

"In this compendium of short stories, the author, who is a keen student of human foibles, gives us a series of vignettes from the Kuala Lumpur of the 1950s. His characters come vividly to life: from Eddodes, the creative and legendary builder of castles in the air and Boniface 'Birdie Boy' Ratnayake, the aspirant judge, to Musso the exorcist, and Mike Kumar, the confidence trickster. In this book, all these characters talk to us. The author captures the very essence of their being and their cultures as they play their little games in life, made up of illusions, craftiness, ego, hope and aspirations."

This is an open invitation, all are welcome.

Reading at Silverfish Books

2008-07-16T12:26:00.000+08:00

Saradha Narayanan will be at Silverfish Books on Saturday, 26th July 2008 at 5.30 pm. to talk about a little about her experience with writing and then read selected passages from her book, Freedom of Choice. This will be followed by a question and answer session. Saradha who was born in Raub is a doctor who graduated from the University of Malaya and later obtained her MRCP from the Royal College of Physicians and worked as a physician/cardiologist for twenty years before hanging up her stethoscope to devote her full time to writing. Her book, appropriately, is about adoption and organ transplant. Everyone is welcome.

Silverfish Books' Writers' Forum

2008-06-16T13:41:00.000+08:00

After repeated requests, Silverfish Books is organising a writers' forum. The intention is for it to become a monthly meeting for aspiring creative writers in English to read their works, request feedback, network, form their own splinter writers' groups, and to share their stories with others having similar interests. We have been pondering this for a while. The original intention was to make it exclusive to Silverfish Writing Programme participants. But after discussing this with others we have decided to open it to all (including writers from Singapore if any want to make the trip). No fee will be charged.

It is proposed that this free forum be held on the first Saturday of each month ( as long as interest lasts) and the first event will be on
Date: Saturday, 5th July 2008
Time: 2.30 to 4.30pm
Venue: Silverfish Books, 58-1, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru

This session is ideal for you if:

You write short fiction, biography or travelogues
You have unpublished short stories, biographies or travelogues of around 2000-3000 words to share
You crave constructive criticism on your writing to help you improve
You want to continue writing till you die
You are willing to work hard to improve your writing
You are passionate about writing
You intend to write enough stories for a whole book (not a one-story-in-ten-years writer)
You are thick-skinned and resilient and not afraid of criticism

This session may be a waste of time for you if:

You want to write mainly to make money
You only want to be a writer but you are not interested in the hard work (or you merely intend to be famous for being famous)
You are not open to criticism of your writing
You are not willing to share your stories.
You are not interested in reading many different genres and authors
You think being a writer is all about glamour
You think your writing is already perfect
You have a weak heart
You like to dominate events by not allowing anyone else to speak (or present their stuff)
You think it's all about you, you, you and you.

Shirley Lim book launch and reading

2008-05-16T10:29:00.000+08:00

Book launch and readings by Shirley Geok-lin Lim
at
Silverfish Books, 58-1, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur (Tel: +603-228 448 37)
on
Saturday, 14th June 2008 at 5.30 pm

Princess Shawl

Mei Li inherits a shawl from a grand-aunt she doesn't know, which whisks her to historical times and places. Before she turns ten in two weeks, she must rescue the Chinese princess, Li Po, from the barren island where the wicked bomoh has exiled her. Mei Li meets women in Singapore, Cameron Highlands and Malacca who teaches her about courage, nurturing, trust and skills such as cooking, nursing, and climbing mountains. With the help of a magic hairpin, of special rogue and of water that can bring you home, she succeeds in uniting the Princess with the brave Sultan Mansur.

"A powerful book. Mei Li, nine years old almost ten, lives in Singapore with parents from Malaysia and China. Her daily life is magical enough, but then a shawl for a princess arrives in the mail...

Like a magic carpet, the shawl flies her away to far lands and times. She must help the wounded and the lost during a war among Portugal, Holland and Melaka. Among the many powers she learns is the ability to heal others. An enchanting and realistic book."

Maxine Hong Kingston
author of The Woman Warrior and Chinamen.

"In this enchanting story of resourceful bravery and love between family members by blood and
choice, between a sultan and a princess, between young and old, Shirley Lim with the utmost economy weaves a brilliant overview of history and culture. A delicious tour de force."

Anca Vlasopolos
author of The New Bedford Samurai

Dr Shirley Lim is Professor of English and Women's Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She was formerly Chair Professor of English and head of the English Department at the University of Hong Kong. Her first book of poems, Crossing The Peninsula (Heinemann Press, 1980), won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize and her memoir, Among The White Moon Faces: An Asian-American Memoir of Homelands (Feminist Press, 1997), received the American Book Award. She is the author of two novels Joss and Gold and Sister Swing. A collection of poems Listening to the Singer was published by Maya Press in 2007.

Shirley Lim is back

2008-04-16T12:00:00.000+08:00

Book launch and readings by Shirley Geok-lin Lim
at
Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur (Tel: +603-228 448 37)
on
Saturday, 14th June 2008 at 5.30 pm

Shirley Lim's latest effort is a young-adult's novel. Princess Shawl, is an intriguing story of the legendary Princess Hang Li Poh, who was married off to the Malaccan Sultan Mansur Shah, as a gift from the Chinese Emperor. Initial reports indicate that Shirley Lim uses a 'Back-To-The-Future' approach involving a time-travel adventure. This is something different. One wonders what her interpretation of that legend is.

Dr. Shirley Lim is Professor of English and Women's Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She was formerly Chair Professor of English and head of the English Department at the University of Hong Kong. Her first book of poems, Crossing The Peninsula (Heinemann Press, 1980), won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize and her memoir, Among The White Moon Faces: An Asian-American Memoir of Homelands (Feminist Press, 1997), received the American Book Award. She is the author of two novels Joss and Gold and Sister Swing. A collection of poems Listening to the Singer was published by Maya Press in 2007.

The 1st KL Alternative Bookfest

2008-03-31T14:33:00.001+08:00

The 1st KL Alternative Bookfest (KLAB) will be held on the weekend of 3-4 May, 2008 at The Annexe, Central Market.

Held less than a month after the mammoth Pesta Buku KL (where you can buy as many text-books, romance novels and religious instruction manuals as you want), it will be held simultaneously with the very popular Art For Grabs event -- but in a different room.

What is KLAB? Basically a gathering of small, independent publishers who would like a popular venue to sell, launch and discuss books. We seek to fill 10-15 tables. Each table can be taken up by one publisher, or it can be shared between various people who each have books to sell.

There are many interesting Malaysian books now being published; the trouble is, not many of them are readily available in the main bookshops. This is an opportunity to bring these books to the public, and to make the whole process fun lah.

Among the events being planned are:
- Book launch by Hishamuddin Rais
- Discussion of new books by Rustam Sani, Noraini Othman & Mavis Puthucheary, and others.
- A 'book give-away' where people can simply get rid of books they no longer want, for free. This will physically take up one corner of the room, where people can just leave the books. The idea is to make interesting books available even to those who can't afford to buy 'em. The remainder of the books will be donated.
- Bilingual poetry slam, where the audience gets to vote for their favourite performers.

Details:
The fee per table (for two days) is RM100.
The event is from 12-6pm both days.
Deadline to receive entries (including payment) is April 26.

Anthony Isoh at Silverfish Books

2008-02-29T17:22:00.000+08:00

Readings at Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur on Saturday 29th March 2008, from 5.30pm to 7.00pm by Anthony Amaechi Isoh author of Black Banana.

Anthony Amaechi Isoh was born in Nigeria in 1962. He was educated at St. Anthony's College, Ubulu- Uku, and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria in Lagos. He worked with the First Bank of Lagos and the Clarion Hotel in Oslo, Norway. He is married and now lives in Malaysia. Spends his time writing when he isn't working as a salesman or studying law at Help University, Kuala-Lumpur, Malaysia.

Anthony Isoh will talk about his book, himself, on why he wrote the book and his experience as a Nigerian living in Malaysia.

Admission is free. All welcome.

An evening with Amir Mohammad and friends

2008-01-29T13:48:00.000+08:00

On Saturday, 23 Feb, from 5:30 to 7pm, Silverfish Books, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur will host Amir Mohammad and his friends for a reading and book signing.

New Malaysian Essays 1 (Matahari Books) ( ISBN: 987-983-43596-1-4 ) is the first of a planned annual series concentrating on local non-fiction writing. From polemic to ode to memoir, this series invites Malaysian readers -- and writers -- to notice, analyse and interpret the living, throbbing, squelching vitality around them. Multi-disciplinary, multi-tasking and best appreciated on multi-vitamins, this first collection features six writers. Four of them will be present at the reading: Amir Muhammad, Brian Yap, Saharil Hasrin Sanin & Aminuddin Mahmud.

This book is available only in selected bookstores, and retails at RM30. So come on over!

Goenawan Mohamad and Laksmi Pamuntjak

2008-01-15T14:40:00.000+08:00

In the last announcement (below) I appear to have given the impression that the event on the Saturday, 26th January 2008 will only feature On God and Other Unfinished Things by Goenawan Mohamad. Actually the event will be a double bill, featuring both Goenawan Mohamad and Laksmi Pamuntjak.

While, after the launch of his book, Goenawan Mohamad will talk about his book and other related issues, Lakshmi Pamuntjak will be reading from her new novel in progress her work in progress, The Blue Widow.

About Goenawan Mohamad: Founder and chief editor of Tempo news magazine (1971 -1998), Goenawan Mohamad is also one of Indonesia’s foremost poets, essayists and public intellectuals with six books of poems and several books of essays. The English translations of his shorts essays can be found in Sidelines (1994) and Conversations with Difference (2002), both translated by Jennifer Lindsay. Goenawan Mohamad: Selected Poems (2004) was translated by Laksmi Pamuntjak.

Goenawan Mohamad has received several international awards, among them the distinguished Louis Lyon Award from Harvard University.

About Laksmi Pamuntjak: Laksmi Pamuntjak has since 1994 written columns and articles on politics, film, food, classical music and literature for Tempo magazine and elsewhere. Her first collection of poetry, Ellipsis, appeared on The Herald, UK 2005 Books of the Year list. She is currently working on The Blue Widow, a novella partially set in Buru Island.

Goenawan Mohamad and Lakshmi Pamuntjak at Silverfish Books

2008-01-01T18:52:00.000+08:00

On Saturday, 26th January 2008 Silverfish Books will host the launch of his latest, On God and Other Things, the English translation of his book of aphorisms, Tentang Tuhan dan Hal-Hal yang Tak Selesai. This event is sponsored by the Malaysian International Literature Society (MILS). The event will start at 5.00pm

Goenawan Mohamad's latest book of aphorisms, Tentang Tuhan dan Hal-Hal yang Tak Selesai, is inspired by Roestam Effendi's 1925 poetry collection, Pertjikan Permenungan (Scraps of Thought). Each of its parts is written with brevity, or with near-brevity -- a cut or a remnant of sorts of a larger piece. All 99 of these "scraps" can be read sometimes as parts that support or refute one another, other times as pieces that stand on their own.

While some of them are variations of the themes found in Catatan Pinggir (Sidelines), Goenawan’s weekly thought pieces in the newsmagazine Tempo, others are categorically new. All were written in times not unlike the one we are currently experiencing now, in which God seems to be irrefutable and religion gains ever more currency in the lives of many: dispensing strength, illuminating the path, but is at the same time confusing and frightening.

The book has been translated into English by the Indonesian poet and writer Laksmi Pamuntjak under the title On God and Other Unfinished Things.

Goenawan will talk about his book, and says in his email.

I understand that right now in Malaysia there is a raging controversy over the word "Allah", with the government imposing a ban on the use of the word by non-Moslems and the subsequent protests by the Malaysian Christians ... I hope my book, and my opinion, will not create a problem ...

Looks like we will be srating our new year with a bang. I suppose we can expect some visitations.

Admission is free and everyone is welcome. But space is limited. (Please do not telephone us to make reservations because we will not be taking any -- but you can call us to give us an indication of numbers. Admission will be strictly on first-come-first basis, subject to availability of space.) A limited number of his books (in Indonesian and in English) will be on sale at Silverfish Books.

Book launch - Arok of Java

2007-11-20T15:10:00.000+08:00

Why did Pramoedya like to say that his book Arok of Java was his best? I typed in the title into Google and found that there is already a small buzz starting in the literary world. Arok of Java will be launched at SilverfishBooks, 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru at 5.00pm on Saturday 24^th November 2007. Admission is free. Everyone is welcome.

Arok became a king of Java bearing the name of "Arok", he who changes everything. Is somebody who changes everything a revolutionary? Was indeed this 13th century bandit turned king really a revolutionary? Is this the picture that Pramoedya Ananta Toer presents in this (mostly) realist novel? In Pramoedya's version of this early pre-Indonesian history, Arok is not just a bandit who becomes a king, but a Brahman-Kstaria-Sudra fusion. But this fusion does not amount to any super-human, for Arok is also a creature of his time and environment with all its limitations. The contradiction between the impulse to liberation and the constraints of a time bound consciousness is one of the things at the heart of this novel, which Pramoedya considered one of his most important works. How and why was this and why does it make for such a gripping read?

At the coming book launch Max Lane will look at the place of Pramoedya in Indonesian cultural life and his legacy as well as ask whether indeed Arok, a king of Java with a name meaning, "he who changes everything" was a revolutionary? Is this the picture that Pramoedya Ananta Toer presents? Max Lane will talk for 30 to 45 mins and then take some questions.

Max Lane is the translator of WS Rendra and also Pramoedya Ananta Toer's Buru tetralogy. He has written hundreds of articles on Indonesia, East Timor and the Philippines. His latest book, UNFINISHED NATION: Indonesia before and after Suharto, will be published by VERSO Books in May, 2008. He has travelled back and forth and sometimes lived in Indonesia since 1969. He was the founder of INSIDE INDONESIA magazine, the only English language popular magazine covering Indonesian affairs. He has been a teacher, diplomat, aid worker, journalist and writer as well as translator.

Launch of News from Home and the Malaysian literature in English series

2007-11-01T16:12:00.000+08:00

News from Home has been a long time coming. Ten stories each selected from three writers. Ten stories we felt would be a nice number to introduce each of them to readers, each with their own distinct Malaysian voice, and each with a slightly different story to tell and way of telling it. These are all writers to look forward to, writers still in their thirties, writers who realise they still have a long way to go, writers who are genuinely Malaysian and modern. At the time of writing this, they are all working on their own 'solo' efforts which they hope to complete next year. We are excited like hell, we hope you will be too once you have read them.

Malaysian literature in English series

News from home will be the first book to carry this sticker (though) we may decide to put it on some of our previous books that we think qualify - Lloyd Fernando, Salleh ben Joned, Huzir Sulaiman and some others surely will). So what is Malaysian literature in English.? The English part is clear enough. So what is Malaysian? Should the author(s) be Malaysian? No, we think not. It could be anyone who lives in or who has lived in Malaysia and has a unique perspective of what we are all about (besides the tourism brochure saccharine sweet bullshit and the whingy-whiny, angsty, everything-sucks crap). And that pretty much will define the word literature as well. Good stories well told, in a nutshell. Good poetry, good plays, good fiction and good travel writing is what we will be looking for.But if you are Malaysian and you write about Beverley Hills or Manhattan with no experience of either, I guess you will not be part of the series, lor. We will not publish you anyway. But then, maybe, others will.

Opening party

Yes, we will be having an 'opening' party at our new premises at 58-1 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru (above pet shop next to DHL) and also the book launch for New from Home and the Malaysian Literature in English series at 5.00pm on Saturday, 17th November 2007. Come and meet the three new writers and have a party. Guess what? It will be Diwali too. All welcome.

Call for submissions:

2007-10-01T10:13:00.000+08:00

Asiatic: IIUM Journal of English Language and Literature

Asiatic, an online refereed journal, published by the Department of English Language and Literature and the Research Management Centre, International Islamic University Malaysia , invites scholars and writers to submit articles and creative pieces for its forthcoming issues. The inaugural issue of the journal will be published electronically in December 2007, featuring critical and creative works by scholars and writers from India, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Fiji.

We welcome papers on all aspects of Asian Englishes and Asian literatures in English, including Asian diasporic literature and Asian literatures in translation. We are also interested in poetry, short fiction, non-fiction prose and plays in English by Asian writers/writers of Asian origin. Papers submitted for publication should be between 5,000 and 7,000 words and follow the Modern Language Association (MLA) style. Creative pieces should be between 1-3 pages for poetry and 6,000 words (maximum) for other genres.

Submissions to and enquiries about Asiatic can be addressed to Asiatic.iium@gmail.com or via regular mail to:

The Editor, Asiatic

Department of English Language and Literature

International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)

Jalan Gombak , 53100 Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

Tel. 603 61965142/3

Lunch with Xu Xi in Bangsar Baru

2007-09-03T11:56:00.000+08:00

Hong Kong author XU Xi's short stories have apeared in Nineteen: a Collection of Stories by Women and Collateral Damage. More recently Xu Xi's manuscript, HABIT OF A FOREIGN SKY, was longlisted for 1st Man Asian Literary Prize. The following is an extract from her website (http://www.xuxiwriter.com/index.htm):

XU XI (pronounced "Shoe-See") is the author of six books of fiction & essays. An active champion of writing from Asia, she compiled and co-edited the first comprehensive anthologies of Hong Kong literature in English. A Chinese-Indonesian native of Hong Kong, the city was home to her until her mid-twenties after which she led a peripatetic existence around Europe, America and Asia. She now inhabits the flight path connecting New York, Hong Kong and New Zealand.

Anyway Xu Xi will be visiting KL for a few days on her way back from Hong Kong from the Ubud Writer's & Reader's Festival. She will be in Silverfish Books on Monday 1st October 2007 around noon and is proposing lunch with some Malaysian writwers and readers (around Bangsar Baru). Please send us an email if you would like to join the lunch party. (We need to know the numbers to make appropriate reservations at a neighbourhood restaurant). All are welcome especially those who have met Xu Xi before.

Alias Grace

2007-07-02T12:23:00.000+08:00

(This notice is sent out at the request of the Australian HC in Kuala Lumpur)In 1844 sixteen-year-old Grace Marks is convicted of the brutal murder of her employer and his pregnant mistress. Eight years later she is offered the chance to redeem herself, but telling a story is never an innocent act.

In her brilliant portrayal of the celebrated murderess in the play alias Grace, award-winning Australian actress Caroline Lee transforms into Marks in a performance as intimate as it is dangerous. The character is based on the real-life Grace Marks, one of the most notorious Canadian women on the 1840s.

Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood's multi-award winning novel, has been adapted for the stage by Laurence Strangio. In July 2007, Malthouse Theatre (Melbourne) and The Instant Cafe Theatre Company present the KL production, supported by the Australian Government through the Australia International Cultural Council in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Relations between Malaysia and Australia.

Date: 4-8 July 2007, Venue: Pentas 2, KLPac. For details call Andre at the
Instant Cafe Theatre office, Tel: 03-79602214.

Southeast Asian Postcolonialities "Reorientations: The Indian Ocean World" An International and Interdisciplinary Conference.

2007-07-02T12:00:00.000+08:00

(From a notice put out by the organisers.)

In line with the objectives of SEAP (Southeast Asian Postcolonialities - an international colloquium hosted by the University of Malaya's Arts and Social Sciences Faculty in 2006) the forthcoming colloquium - Reorientations: The Indian Ocean World - will reaffirm the on-going preoccupation with the location and agency of Southeast Asia within a global imaginary. We will have an art exhibition at the colloquium show-casing the Malaysian artists Latiff Mohidin, Khalil Ibrahim and Chang Fee Ming and the photos of Sultan Ismail. We plan to showcase documentaries on the diasporic Cape Malay and the development of Taarab music with its links to the dhow as metaphor. We will feature fusion dance from Bali and a discourse on dance and movement from the Philippines.

This event is organised by the Dept of English, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University Malaya

Date: 8am - 6pm, August 11&12th, 2007, Venue: Museum of Asian Art, University of Malaya, Registration Fees: RM 100 for public, RM 50 for students (inclusive of stationery and lunch)

Official website: http://english.um.edu.my/seap/index.htm

Fallen Leaves

2007-06-15T17:47:00.000+08:00

Fallen Leaves: A devised play about the dreams, aspirations, challenges and hopes of people living with HIV/AIDS. This highly charged and much talked about drama first played to a sell out audience at Actors Studio, Bangsar last year. Now it's back with newly devised scenes and a whole new theatrical experience for its audience.

This new staging is a mobile performance experience and so is limited to only 50 participants per show. For inquiries and tickets: Food Foundry: Block B Happy Mansion Jalan 17/13 PJ Tel: Siew Ling / 012 330 5805 Cloudbreak Studio: P2-2 Plaza Damas Jalan Sri Hartamas 1 KL Tel : Jade / 012 330 2600

4 true stories come to you live and direct - all written and performed by people living with HIV/AIDS.

Venue: Dram Projects Studio, Block B, Happy Mansion, Jalan 17/13, Petaling Jaya

Time/Date: 8pm / Friday / 29 June '07, 3pm & 8pm / Saturday / 30 June '07, 3pm & 8pm / Sunday / 1 July '07 (Matinee shows are prioritized for school children & students. Groups are encouraged to book in advance)

Tickets by donation: RM30 (Adults), RM10 (Students, senior citizens)

This is a Community Theatre Initiative by Cloudbreak, All proceeds from these performances will support ongoing Art Therapy Projects at Welcome Community Home.

1st July 2007 update

As part of the Not that Balai Arts Festival 2007, Fallen Leaves will be staged at:

1. 67 Tempenis Satu at 8.30 pm on 25th July 2007 , and
2. Central Market Annexe at 8.30 pm on 3rd August 2007.

Catch it if you have not already done so. It is an eye opener. The performances are all by the inmates of Welcome Home who have never acted before, and some of the delivery is better than certain stuff you see on far more expensive productions on our stages.

Salleh ben Joned - readings from Adam's Dream

2007-05-31T15:42:00.000+08:00

We all know why he couldn't make it to the book launch during the Kuala LumpurInternational Literary Festival 2007, and we were disappointed though we understood.

Salleh is much better now and will be doing a reading from his latest books Adam's Dream at Silverfish Books, 67-1, Jalan Telawi Tiga, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday 4th of July, 2007 at 5.30pm. So why have it on a Wednesday? Because it is his birthday! Yes, Salleh was born on the 4th of July. (We have, since, changed the date and time of the event to the 7th of July but Salleh's birthday is still in the 4th though.)

Expect to have a good time. Bring your copies of Adam's Dream along for Salleh to sign, or you can get copies at Silverfish, of course.

Adam's Dream is an intensely personal collection of poems, some of which are extremely painful to read. But there are several fun ones too.

KLILF 2007: Camilla Gibb calls Rushdie a mediocre writer

2007-04-01T06:43:00.000+08:00

The Kuala Lumpur International Literary Festival 2007 has just ended after three days and over thirty different events featuring writers from over ten countries. Holding the events in a shopping mall (this is MallAsia after all) had its plusses and minuses. For one thing it had a warmer (in some instances literally) and easier atmosphere. You could have cappuccino and a giant piece of carrot cake (I didn't see much wine about) while listening to your favourite author, and there was no necessity to sneak off to the nearby mall between sessions for shopping. You were already in one. But on the other hand, some of the mall employees had difficulty understanding why we didn't like their piped-in music played so loud and their industrial fan.

Anyway, from early feedback, it appears to have been an enjoyable experience. There were the obvious crowd pullers. Tash Aw (Malaysia) was without doubt the most popular, with people spilling over, down the staircase at Alexis. Benjamin Zephaniah (Britain) was the other top draw, wowing the young and the old with his infectious streetwise poetry and rhythm. Dina Zaman (Malaysia) got good crowds and interesting questions for both her questions. (One participant got so involved in the discussion that she purportedly stalked Azmi, the moderator, to the parking lot after the session and proceeded to explain to him the difference between the foreskin and the hymen, because she felt her original 'question' on Dina's tongue-in-cheek essay 'Born again Virgins' had not been adequately addressed.) Another well attended session was with Camilla Gibb (Canada) who responded to a question from the floor by saying that she was not afraid of having a fatwa against her for bringing up Muslim issues in Sweetness in the Belly, and adding (quite unnecessarily one would have thought) that the fatwa against Salman Rushdie was "... the best thing that happened to his career ... he is a mediocre writer."

Gasp!

And then there was Antares, who explained carefully and slowly how politicians have evolved from a specie of reptiles ...

Media launch of KLILF 2007

2007-03-01T17:49:00.000+08:00

The Kuala Lumpur International Festival 2007KLILF 2007 (KLILF 2007) was officially launched today by Minister of Women, Welfare and Community Development, YB Dato' Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who is also the MP for Lembah Pantai, . The theme for this years event is "THE NATION AT 50."

This year's event will be held in Bangsar Baru, primarily at Bangsar Village from the 28th to 30th of March.

Several international writers and Malaysian writers have confirmed their attendance at the festival including Randa Abdel Fattah and Brian Castro (Australia), Benjamin Zephaniah (Britain), Goenawan Mohamad (Indonesia), Camilla Gibb (Canada), Eda Kriseova (Czech Republic), Elizabeth Smither (New Zealand), Word Forward Slam Poets (Singapore), Simithra Rahubadhe (Sri Lanka) and Tash Aw, Dina Zaman, Salleh ben Joned, Wong Phui Nam, Cecil Rajendra and Antares from Malaysia.

The organiser of the event have decided to extend early bird registration period to March 15th (from March 10th) because we have just printed the fliers andpostcards.

Watch a slidshow of the event here: http://www.silverfishbooks.com/Slide%20Shows/KLILF2007/KLILF.asp

For information of registration and tentative program: http://www.silverfishbooks.com/LitFest.htm

Kuala Lumpur LitFest 2007 - Benjamin Zephaniah

2007-02-15T14:46:00.000+08:00

Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah, is a British Rastafarian writer and dub poet, and is well known in contemporary English literature. (Dub Poetry is a form of performance poetry consisting of spoken word over reggae rhythms, that originated in Jamaica in the 1970s.)

Zephaniah published his first book of poems, Pen Rhythm, in 1980, which was so well received that three editions were published. His album Rasta, which featured The Wailers' first recording since the death of Bob Marley as well as a tribute to Nelson Mandela, gained him international prestige and topped the Yugoslavian pop charts.

A self-described passionate vegan, Zephaniah has been awarded honorary doctorates by the University of North London (in 1998), the University of Central England (in 1999), Staffordshire University (in 2002), London South Bank University (in 2003), the University of Exeter and the University of Westminster (in 2006).

Bejamin Zephaniah will perform his poetry, read from his novels, followed by a discussion. Topic of discussions will include his sources of inspiration for his writing and how he began, brief background on dub poetry and its impact on listeners, how writing prose is for him vs. poetry, performing poetry and using music, his experiences with poetry for radio and TV, his experiences making poetry a popular and accessible art form.

Bejamin Zephaniah is sponsored by The British Council. Watch a video of an interview with British Council in Brazil. (Don't worry only a bit of it is in Portuguese.) Watch other videos here on YouTube.

KL International Literary Festival 2007-update

2007-01-30T14:00:00.000+08:00

(Please wait for a moment for the video link to download). This page will be used for regular updates as we receive information. We will start with Malaysian writers.

Programme:

Dina Zaman Book Launch - I am Muslim. Dina Zaman's articles about being a Muslim in Malaysia in Malaysiakini.com spoke for and captured the imagination of many who, though had similar views were, for various reasons, not able to articulate them. Dina Zaman's two session during the Literary Festival is going to be popular. And maybe controversial. Dina goes to places few have dared to venture. These sessions are not to be missed.

As Dina states in her introduction, I am Muslim is a selfish journey of faith. Dina meets shamans, nationalists, moderates and gets into all sorts of scrapes, to discover what Islam means to Muslims in Malaysia. Heartbreaking, angry and downright funny, expect I AM to be a rollickin’ read.

Watch Dina Zaman's recent interview with Al Jazeera here.

Tash Aw's writing workshops (perhaps that is not entirely correct ... call this a master class - read on).

Tash will be running two writing worshops. For his two sessions he proposes to do two workshops entitled 'Beginnings' and 'Endings'. These sessions will take the writing of beginnings and endings of novels as their starting point but will be much more wide-ranging than that, moving on the explore various (general) themes in novel-writing that may be of interest to the participants. The workshops will be TEXT-BASED, meaning that he will be using short extracts from famous novels as examples/starting points. These can be simple photocopied and distributed at the start of the sessions.

The workshops are open to anyone, though those with a lively interest in reading (ie those who are able to engage with prose) will benefit the most. The sesssions are meant to be interactive: he won't be 'telling' anything how to write.

Kuala Lumpur International Literary Festival 2007

2007-01-16T14:42:00.000+08:00

About the LitFest

The Kuala Lumpur International Literary Festival 2007 (which was announced eons ago) is taking off. To date we have confirmation from several writers, which has been posted here.

The last time we had a Literary Festival in Kuala Lumpur was in 2004. We are (finally) holding one more again this year - our 50th year of Merdeka. The Festival proper will be on the 28th, 29th and 30th of March 2007. The theme for the event is 'The nation at 50.'

Events will include, book launches, discussions, meetings with writers, exhibitions and workshops - for adults and children. The detailed programme is still being worked out. Writers who have confirmed to date are Randa Abdel Fattah (Australia), Benjamin Zephaniah (Britain), Camilla Gibb (Canada), Eda Kriseova (Czech Rep), Goenawan Mohamad (Indonesia), Lakshmi Pamuntjak (Indonesia), Tsash Aw, Salleh ben Joned, Cecil Rajendra and Dina Zaman(Malaysia), Elizabeth Smither (New Zealand) and Sumithra Rahubaddhe of Sri Lanka.

One of the things we didn't like about the 2004 Literary Festival was the conference component. Many also thought that the cost of RM300.00 was too much, especially for students, who are one of our main target groups. What we liked about the Festival was the opportunity to mix and mingle with international writers. (Despite the cost we had over 250 fully paid delagates in 2007.)

This year we have decided not to hold the event in a hotel - which was the main reason for the high cost in 2004. And we will also not have the conference component. The 2007 KL Lit Fest will be held at various venues around Bangsar Baru, all within walking distance. Although there will be several events proceeding simultaneously, all participants will be given enough opportunities to meet all the writers. (If you miss one session, you can catch the next one.)

More details will be posted as they become available. But the most important part is where we bring the prices down.

Cost: (These are early-bird prices and are valid are until the 10th March 2007. Of course registration will be on first come first served basis.)

Normal adult: MYR100.00 (pass valid for three days for all events)
Students/teachers/writers: MYR50.00 ((pass valid for three days for all events)

More info: http://www.silverfishbooks.com/LitFest.htm

Folklores staged!

2006-12-30T15:39:00.000+08:00

Event: Folklores staged!
Date: Jan 10 & 11, 2007
Venue: The Main Auditorium,Main Campus, International Islamic University
Malaysia, Jalan Gombak, Kuala Lumpur.
Time: 8.30 pm - 10 pm

Folklores from:

Malaysia (Batu Belah Batu Bertangkup in English!)
China (Shanxi Bai Mao Nv or The Grey Haired Girl of Shanxi)
Sudan (A story of the arrival of Islam in Africa)
Turkey (Stories of Nasruddin Hoja)
Iran (The 40 Thieves)

These plays are re-written, directed and acted by IIUM students/staff and
their guest performers from Turkey, Iran, Middle East and Africa.There
will be folk dances and music incorporated in the plays.

Fee: RM2 (with programme book), RM1 without prog book.

Contact  Shima at 012 283 7847 or the English Langauge and Literature Dept
(Dr Faridah tel 6196 5130/013 353 3342)

Launch of Silverfish New Writing 6

2006-11-16T16:03:00.000+08:00

Silverfish New Writing 6 edited by Prof Dr Dipika Mukherjee was launched on the 14 of November 2006 (Tuesday), at the Banquet Hall 2 of Impiana KLCC Hotel & Spa in Kuala Lumpur. The launch sponsored by HSBC for the Arts was attended by over one hundred. It is indeed wonderful that we have organisations like HSBC in the country that are ready and willing to sponsor the arts and literature given the present atmosphere that is almost anti-art and anti-intellectual. Of course, it helps that Dato' Zarir Cama is a banker who reads TS Eliot.

Dr Dipika Mukherjee was down from Amsterdam for the event. Amongst the writers who turned up in person were Junaidah Hussain, Nurfaizah Tubi, Peter Brown, Rebecca Chew, Saras Manickam, and Thaatchaayini Kananatu. Four other writers, Arun Subramaniam, Arthur Goh, S Gopalan and Wenxian Tan were represented by family and friends. Congratulations and keep the stories coming. We are now accepting submissions for Silverfish New Writing 7 - closing date 31 March 2007. Read the rules here.

Silverfish New Writing 6 is now available at all major bookstore at RM25.00. You may also order them (post free if you live in Malaysia) from our secure website here. See the slide show here.

Farish Noor - website launch - 28th Oct 06

2006-11-01T12:42:00.000+08:00

Political scientist and activist Farish Noor spoke to another standing room only crowd (with no police presence) at Silverfish Books on the 28th of October. Also with him were Yusseri Yusoff and Mack Zulkifli who volunteered to help him put up the website: www.othermalaysia.org

Farish Noor made an impassioned plea to not let the real history of Malaysia be erased or marginalized. The website, which is funded entirely by him welcomes contribution from everyone … on issues of politics, religion, gender, culture, economics et. al… with the only condition being the writers take responsibility for what they write. No pseudonyms, and definitely no anonymous postings will be allowed.

This site was set up as a source of alternative information regarding the history of Malaysia. Othermalaysia.org will therefore attempt to highlight aspects of Malaysia's past and present that have been systematically downplayed or relegated to the background of the national
imaginary. (That's Farish Noor for you!)

He further adds: Othermalaysia.org is committed to an academic culture that is free, open and democratic. Readers are encouraged to use the materials found in this site and all that we ask is that proper acknowledgement is given …

Visit the website and click here for a slideshow.

Amir Muhammad event - Police come a calling

2006-10-16T15:03:00.000+08:00

A gentleman came by at around 2.00pm on Saturday. I was not in, Phek Chin was. He extended his hand in a handshake. Phek Chin took it and was about to say, "No thank you," thinking he was yet another direct salesman, when the gentleman introduced himself as Inspector So-and-so (no names shall be mentioned) from the Brickfields Police Station. Phek Chin said she was a little taken aback - bengang
was the word she used - but the gentleman proceeded to ask if there was going to be a screening of an Amir Muhammad movie later? "No, I don't think so. I think it is going to be a talk of some sort," she replied. He then asked who would be attending? "Our usual customers lah," she said. Can anybody come? Yah, anyone can come. Can I come? Yah, you can come. What time does it start? Five thirty. Are you the boss? No my boss just went out.

He came back just before we started, introduced himself and sat at the back. (He said he had a colleague, though I couldn't figure out whom.)

Amir talked about his new documentary, Village Radio, with a slide presentation. (While The Last Communist was about the Chinese side of the communist insurgency in the country, the Village Radio was about Malay side.) Amir Muhammad said he was at one of the two Malay villages in Southern Thailand (another two are occupied by the Chinese) where the ex-communists live and earn a living off the land given to them by the Thai government - though many of them were originally from Temerloh.

When I turned around after the presentation, I noticed that the gentleman had left. Looks like the police are interested in everything Amir does these days. But from all accounts, I must say that he was extremely polite. Charm offensive? Or new image.

Watch the slideshow here

Farish A Noor at Silverfish Books on Saturday 28th Oct, 5.30 pm

2006-10-09T10:50:00.000+08:00

Farish A Noor writes on www.theothermalaysia.org: The question of how 'progressive' ideas can be transmitted to Muslim societies today is a thorny one, as it raises many other related questions regarding the power relations both between the Western and Muslim worlds as well as the power relations within the Muslim world itself. At a time when Muslims the world over feel that the future of Muslim countries is under threat, and when conspiracy theories abound about the so-called 'concerted attempts' to undermine Islam from within and without, any attempt to work towards a radical re-thinking of Muslim norms, values and praxis is bound to solicit much controversy and suspicion, if not outright resistance and even violent reaction.

He says of his website: This site was set up by a number of Malaysian scholar-activists and volunteers with the simple aim of providing other sources of information for those who are interested in unearthing aspects of Malaysian history, politics and culture that have thus far been sidelined, marginalised or erased in the official historiography of the post-colonial state.

Farish A Noor will officially launch his website www.theothermalaysia.org at Silverfish Books on Saturday 28th Oct 2006 at 5.30pm. Those who have attended his talks before know how eloquent a speaker he is. Do not miss this opportunity to meet and talk to Malaysia's top public intellectual.

Admission is free. But do RSVP Usha/Phek Chin, tel: 03-228 448 37, before Friday 27th Oct 2006 due to limited space.

Amir Muhammad at Silverfish Books on Saturday 14th Oct 2006, 5.30 pm

2006-10-09T10:30:00.000+08:00

Village Radio is the sequel to Amir Muhammad's documentary The Last Communist, the first Malaysian work to be banned at home. The Last Communist has been invited to over two dozen film festivals since premiering at the Berlinale Forum
2006.

Village Radio takes place in a community of retired Malay-Muslim communists. Although of Malaysian origin, they live across the border in South Thailand. Recollections of the decades-long guerilla warefare against the Malaysian government are interspersed with a fictional Thai soap opera.

Amir will be talking about the making of this sequel to his banned Lelaki Komunis Terakhir, called Village Radio (Apa Khabar Orang Kampung) with a slide presentation. Expect this to be interesting. Amir will also be around to sign any of his DVDs you buy. (Oh BTW, free postcards of Village Radio wil be given away to all attending.)

Admission is free. But do RSVP Usha/Phek Chin at tel: 03-228 448 37 before Friday, 13th Oct, because space is limited.

Pete Teo and Ho Yu Hang

2006-09-25T12:18:00.000+08:00

Pete Teo and Ho Yu Hang were at Silverfish Books on the 23rd of September fresh back from the Venice Film Festival, a film festival regarded second only to the big one in Cannes. Most people don't realise how big a deal it is to have your film shown in competition in Venice. Ho Yu Hang, who wrote and directed the film, Rain Dogs, was boxing way above his weight catagory, in the words of Pete Teo, who also acts in the film.He says that Ho is a director to watch. "He will will go far." He commends the film maker's lyricism and power in story telling. "It is a beautiful film," he says. Anyway we will be able to find out soon enough. The film will hit the local circuits by the end of October - if the censors or other powers don't object, that is. (The film will be in competition in Pusan and Hong Kong, and will be an official selection in Toronto and Vancouver.)

Pete Teo did not quite launch his new album, Television, on Saturday but he talked about it, about writing it, and played some songs from it. While his previous album was dark and almost suicidal, he says he decided to move away from that theme for two reasons. Firstly, he didn't want to be stereotyped, and secondly he is in a much better mood these days! He says he doesn't like the pop song format (nor the industry) and prefers to write about what he sees happening around him. He lists the Middle East crisis and the Iraq war as major influnces on his latest venture, Television.

Pete Teo is without a doubt the most literate song writer in Malaysia. He may not be a Bob Dylan (yet), but a Paul Simon ...? I think so. Give his new album, Television, a listen.

View the slideshow.